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Editorial content for Rooftops of Tehran

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Amy Gwiazdowski

Pasha and his best friend, Ahmed, spend a lot of time on the roof during the Iranian summer of 1973. It's the last summer of their youth, and for them, life is simple --- there are games to be played, girls to be admired, and the final year of school to muse over. Each night before falling asleep they name stars after friends and family, a ritual they've shared since childhood. This is also the summer when their lives will take a dramatic turn. Read More

About the Book

In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran’s sprawling capital city, 17-year old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari’s stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah’s secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice…

In this poignant, funny, eye-opening and emotionally vivid novel, Mahbod Seraji lays bare the beauty and brutality of the centuries-old Persian culture, while reaffirming the human experiences we all share.

Please click here to find out how you can schedule a chat between Mahbod and your reading group.

**Rooftops of Tehran was selected as an Indie Next List Notable Book for June 2009.**

Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

May 2009

Set in Tehran in 1973, ROOFTOPS OF TEHRAN drops you into the world of Pasha and Ahmed, who while away their summer hours on the roof. They are in that in-between year --- not still a child, but not quite an adult --- where they are feeling their way to the next thing. They play games, mull the future --- and think about girls. Pasha has a secret crush on Zari, the fiancé of a local boy named Doctor, who is older. But beyond this world on the roof, Tehran is explosive with the SAVAK running around the city looking for those who are outspoken against the Shah and the government. One night on the roof, a look from Pasha turns their world upside down --- and the fallout will change everyone’s lives.

May 8, 2009

Remember back in September when my son went off to college and I wrote how much “stuff” we moved to school? Well, it's now all back at the house --- and I feel like it arrived back here in a heartbeat! Yes, last night in an act that I think should solidify Mother's Day as a bonafide weeklong holiday, I drove over to the campus from the office, opened the back of my car, and in went boxes and boxes of dishes, pots, pans, clothes and computer/stereo equipment. And the paper shredder he inherited from his roommate who is not returning next fall, which was taking things full circle since his roommate’s mom picked that up the first day of school when we did some last-minute shopping together.

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May 6, 2009

I just got back from Dublin, and it was one of the best trips of my life. It was my first time there (plus, it was a birthday celebration), and the people there are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. First, I've got to say thanks to Stephen Robson of Fanfare Books for his recommendation of three comics shops to visit while I was in town. That's one of the best things about traveling anywhere: seeing the local book and comics stores. (Thanks also to one of our readers, Tara, for emailing me with comic shop suggestions in Dublin --- they all came in handy.)

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Kevin Wignall, author of People Die

Fast, efficient, and deadly… JJ is the best hit man money can buy. His clients are international. His targets never see it coming. His only rule: never get emotionally involved. But in the assassination game, everything can change with a single bullet.

Editorial content for The Wildwater Walking Club

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Kate Ayers

Life works in funny ways sometimes. One day, you’re on top of the world, with everything going for you. The next day, you’re sliding into a sinkhole so deep it feels as though you’ll never be able to dig yourself out. It’s like that for Noreen Kelly. One day, she has an incredible boyfriend and a promising career. The next day, the guy is making himself scarce and she has taken a pretty much mandatory buyout on her job. Read More

Teaser

Just put one foot in front of the other. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But when Noreen Kelly takes a buyout from her job of 18 years and gets dumped by her boyfriend in one fell swoop, she finds it hard to know what that next step is-never mind take it.

About the Book

Just put one foot in front of the other. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But when Noreen Kelly takes a buyout from her job of 18 years and gets dumped by her boyfriend in one fell swoop, she finds it hard to know what that next step is-never mind take it. At first Noreen thinks maybe her redundancy package could be an opportunity, a chance to figure out what to do with the rest of her life while her company foots the bill. Sure, she may have gotten high to "Witchy Woman" and grooved to "Sweet Baby James" back when James Taylor had hair, but she isn't ready for her AARP card. Not yet.

Editorial content for Jennifer Johnson Is Sick of Being Single

Teaser

Everyone around Jennifer Johnson is getting married, while she's still single and stuck writing ad copy about men's dress socks. Launched on a humiliating and hilarious quest to find Prince Charming at any cost --- including agonizing online dates, diet-clinic cults, drag-queen fights, and a debilitating addiction to Cinnabon icing, JENNIFER JOHNSON is a cautionary tale about getting what you want - and how that may be the worst thing to happen to you.

About the Book

From the author of PRETTY LITTLE MISTAKES --- Everyone around Jennifer Johnson is getting married, while she's still single and stuck writing ad copy about men's dress socks. Launched on a humiliating and hilarious quest to find Prince Charming at any cost --- including agonizing online dates, diet-clinic cults, drag-queen fights, and a debilitating addiction to Cinnabon icing, JENNIFER JOHNSON is a cautionary tale about getting what you want - and how that may be the worst thing to happen to you.

The Macavity Awards 2009

The Macavity Award is named for the "mystery cat" of T.S. Eliot's OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS. Each year the members of Mystery Readers International nominate and vote for their favorite mysteries in four categories.

The Wolverine hits keep on coming, and it's about to get really interesting with a very special event upcoming at the Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art (MoCCA). MoCCA is a great local institution here in Manhattan devoted to preserving and promoting the comic art form. Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 29th, they're presenting Chris Claremont and Matthew K. Manning in a candid conversation about Wolverine, taking place from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at MoCCA's Soho location.
May 3, 2009

Dublin the Fun

Tagged:
It's my first time in Dublin, and of course I couldn't resist visiting a comics shop here. Thanks to Stephen Robson from Fanfare UK and reader Tara for pointing me in the right direction of some great places. Today, I stopped by Forbidden Planet on Compton Quay and picked up some things. Nice store! And nice to see that it was so crowded on a lazy Friday afternoon.